


pulse point

by seventhstar



Category: Yu-Gi-Oh! Zexal
Genre: Alternate Universe - Soulmates, M/M, sort of
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-07-21
Updated: 2017-07-21
Packaged: 2018-12-04 21:50:13
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 646
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/11564025
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/seventhstar/pseuds/seventhstar
Summary: In a world where your wrist has the name of the person who will cause your death inscribed, Ryoga's wrist reads 'Tsukumo Yuuma'.He's never quite sure how to feel about this.





	pulse point

**Author's Note:**

  * For [FullmetalChords](https://archiveofourown.org/users/FullmetalChords/gifts), [rangerhitomi](https://archiveofourown.org/users/rangerhitomi/gifts).



1.

He thinks about cutting off his hand when the name appears.

Not because of what the letters actually say; the name ‘Tsukumo Yuuma’ means nothing to him. It’s because Rio’s wrist remains blank. The name on Ryoga’s wrist is proof that time is passing. He is changing, and Rio is fading away. He can’t shake the feeling that they’ve become disconnected.

He can’t shake the fear that her wrist will always be blank, because she’s going to die in the coma.

2.

Yuuma Tsukumo couldn’t hurt a fly.

Ryoga is vaguely relieved when the duel is over, and Yuuma turns out to be an annoying underclassman. He’s small, loud, obnoxious, deceptively skilled. But there’s nothing dangerous about him. Everyone knows that the names aren’t really about who will literally kill you (unless you’re particularly unlucky); they’re the name of the EMT who will try and fail to resuscitate you, the driver in your fatal car accident, the doctor who will treat your terminal cancer.

He guesses Yuuma is right about being his friend, though, if he’s destined to be around when Ryoga dies. He’s going to be stuck with Yuuma for a long time.

The thought doesn’t bother him nearly as much as it should.

3.

The hole in his side doesn’t hurt.

 _I think I’m dying_ , Ryoga realizes as he fumbles with his cards. There’s blood soaking his shirt, staining the hand he has clamped over the wound. In the heat of the moment, he didn’t think about the consequences of being stabbed, only that Yuuma might die and Ryoga needed to do something.

But now the room is starting to spin. He feels cold.

He’s always vaguely thought he might die with. It never occurred to him he might die for him.

A debt is a debt, though. And Ryoga’s already lost his sister; he’s not going to lose Yuuma, too.

4.

“So, Nasch,” Vector says. His legs dangle from the cliff edge. Nasch wants to kick him off. “I see a hole in your little plan.”

“What, Vector?”

“Are you really going to be able to fight Tsukumo Yuuma?” Vector switches to his ‘Shingetsu’ voice. “Wasn’t he your friend?”

Nasch’s neck feels naked without his fang pendant; his body, thrumming with power, still feels strange. He’s not sure of anything all, really. But everyone is relying on him to save Barian World, and he won’t let them die again.

He won’t let anyone die, this time.

“He was Ryoga Kamishiro’s friend,” he says. “Not mine.”

5.

“I’ve known how you felt for ages.”

 _I understand,_  Ryoga wants to say. _I like you. I liked being with you. I wish things were different._

Ryoga isn’t there, though. Ryoga Kamishiro was never there.

It’s just Nasch, and there’s no name on his alien wrist, no absolution for his broken soul. Ryoga was destined to die at Yuuma’s hand, maybe, but Nasch doesn’t have to play by human rules.

  
6.

“Hey, Shark! We’re going to the beach to play duel volleyball!”

Ryoga rolls his eyes. Duel volleyball sounds incredibly dumb, and he has better things to do. (He does not have better things to do. If he goes home he’s going to get sucked into another round of ‘whose ancient civilization was the best ancient civilization’ and when your ancient civilization is at the bottom of the ocean, you always lose.)

“Come on, Shark! It’ll be fun!” Yuuma grabs onto his arm and starts dragging him along.

Ryoga still has Nasch’s freakish strength, and could pull away. But Yuuma is grinning at him like nothing between them has changed.

“Fine,” he says.

“Hurry up!” Yuuma gestures wildly at him. “You’re gonna be on my team, right?”

“Fine,” Ryoga says, pretending to be exasperated.

Ryoga’s wrist still reads Tsukumo Yuuma, but the black has turned to gray, and is fading. Before long, it will be gone.


End file.
